This is a great white wedding cake for those of you who like it plain. When I was a child, one of my neighbors who was elderly made a lot of wedding cakes for family and other people, and she took great pride in her work. She used fancy staircases you get in cake decorating stores, and even crocheted certain decorations. All is in your imagination. No professional baker did what she did. Be creative.

This is a sophisticated strawberry shortcake. The cake is made with graham cracker crumbs. The strawberries are marinated in a red Zinfandel syrup spiced with cardamom and cloves, and the cake and berries are all topped with whipped cream. It is a wonderful ending to any elegant dinner!